6. What does this entertainment glorify?
Every entertainer holds values, and many entertainers promote their values through what they produce.1 Many times their values are purely financial; meaning they would make whatever would sell. Rarely do Christian values like wisdom, integrity, the fear of God or exalting of Jesus Christ ever get airtime. Thus, we must ask ourselves what values does a certain TV show or movie promote? If we fail to discern this, the desires of our heart will be formed and pulled away from Scripture. (See #2.)
7. Does TV amplify my gossip?
Gossip looks different for different people. Gossip for many women might mean criticizing an actress’ weight or what they wore to XYZ awards show. For men who scoff at celebrity culture, they might not realize they do the same thing when it comes to the athletes they like or dislike. Just because we may not know someone personally doesn’t mean we have free reign to gossip.
RELATED: You Can’t Serve God and Entertainment
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29
8. What are you more willing to compromise: your Christian beliefs or your entertainment choices?
Again, this doesn’t assume that all entertainment is all bad, but this question should help you unmask an idol if one exists. Be careful if you often find yourself saying or thinking, “I know as a Christian I shouldn’t watch __________, but…” This could be a sign you love entertainment over God.
9. What entertainment can you sacrifice for a more God-honoring life?
My wife and I choose to live without cable TV and thus hardly watch any TV. This helps us not only save money but also steward our time by not getting sucked into shows (or games) that add no value to our lives. I also choose to not have Facebook or Twitter apps active on my phone to remove another temptation to waste time. Less is more and life is fuller when we make the right sacrifices to honor God.
10. Do your entertainment choices help you fulfill your God-given callings?
Entertainment used rightly can serve a great purpose: to help us enjoy the life God has given us, to bring us closer to those we love, and to have a greater understanding of the complex world we live in. It can also distract us from our God-given callings.
If our Christian entertainment choices are only about passive consumption and don’t motivate us to actively create or think deeply, our entertainment choices are unhealthy. If “fellowship” around entertainment is the main basis of relationships for you, your entertainment choices are unhealthy.
God wants more from us than amusing ourselves to death (to borrow a phrase from Neil Postman). He wants to be our greatest delight. He wants greater Christ-likeness and abundant lives for His children. He wants to lead and guide us with His still, small voice. Are you listening?
My prayer is that in our Christian entertainment choices the Lord would use these simple questions to shape your mind and heart to love Him more in all you do.
This article on Christian entertainment choices originally appeared here.
